Sandstorm Heart by Liv Olteano

Sandstorm-Heart_FINALTitle: Sandstorm Heart 

Series: Space Files R, 02    

Author: Liv Olteano     

Genre: Science Fiction, D/s, BDSM       

Length: Novella (118pgs)     

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (18th September 2013)     

Heat Level: Explicit     

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts    

Reviewer: Pixie     

Blurb: Ron Vid is a Celian soldier with some personal demons. Hoping for respite, he deserts his squad and leaves his planet. Working as a mercenary on Asai, planet of sand and wind, he has a reprieve, until the Haffa named Zaoh joins the mercenaries. Celians and Haffas have a history of strife, but when Ron and Zaoh are paired on a mission, their chemistry crackles. After they fight together for survival, its clear Zaoh wants Ron. Zaoh can be a fierce and dominant lover, but Ron’s secrets, and his fear that the Haffa might uncover them, could keep Zaoh from getting his man. 

Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4191    

Review: This story is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Ron was a Celian Commander before he deserted because of his demons, working as a mercenary for Ami is a reprieve he was looking for but then Zaoh, a Haffa, joins the band of mercenaries and Ron’s peace becomes turmoil. Haffa’s and Celian’s have a history of blood and violence but the tension between Ron and Zaoh is tinged with attraction, when on a mission that goes wrong the pair give in but Ron has secrets that could lead to his death at the hands of Zaoh. 

This is a great science fiction story that is rampant with sexual tension, personal strife, the road to happiness is violent and sexual, and forgiveness is hard to give and accept. Ron has a fierce attraction to Zaoh and it started when he spotted the Haffa on the battlefield, but it is also tinged with fear and hate for the brutal Haffa who killed so many of his men. Ron denies what he feels as best as he can. Not just because of the different sides they were on, but also because of the secrets he carries. Zaoh wants Ron and means to have him, he knows far more than Ron realizes but Zaoh takes great pleasure in dominating the answers out of Ron. 

Ron and Zaoh are great characters and are an absolutely blazing hot couple, their attraction is a fierce presence, but it is tinged with fear, anger, hate, and shame. Ron holds his shame inside and when the darkness gets to be too much he yearns for the pain to overwhelm it, when Zaoh gets his hands on him Zaoh knows exactly what to do. Although they have a very combustible relationship and they are breaking down Ron’s barriers   we aren’t left with just a relationship between the two, we also get to see them in action when they are ambushed and the revenge they enact on behalf of their benefactor Ami. 

I recommend this if you love science fiction, characters dealing with messed up feelings, rough D/s sex and a touch of BDSM, hot explosive sex, interesting characters with history and a great ending.